Today was the day I had to call Dr. Pochettino's secretary to schedule my preadmission testing. (She's quite the ray of sunshine.) Again, she refused to tell me when she would start the process of getting approval from the insurance. (Not sure what her deal is with that.) I did get scheduled for May 15th to have my tests done. The cardiac cath from four years ago showed what they needed to see, so no need to undergo that again. :-) It looks like my surgery will be at 6:00 AM on May 20th. We will be staying in the hotel on the 19th to avoid making the trek to Philly at 4 in the morning. It really hit me hard last night at 11:00. . . just two more weekends before the big weekend when all the parents arrive for this endeavor. Two weekends pass really quickly. (I'm getting nervous.)
Hope everyone is doing well. Please send prayers to Aunt Maureen and her family, and of course to Diane and her family as they continue through their difficult path. Mine seems pretty trivial compared to the journey they are having to take.
Love to all,
Joyce
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sharing the News
This was a big week for me. I have been hesitating to share the news of my surgery on a larger scale, mostly because I was afraid it would make the situation seem too real. I had planned on waiting until May to share the news, but decided to share it with the staff at work this week after several people asked me about my medical leave that was posted in the School Board Meeting Minutes. The well wishes and encouragement proved to be very uplifting and I'm glad it's in the open at work. Thank you to my wonderful colleagues for all your care and concern.
Again, at church yesterday, I shared the news and was amazed by the genuine concern and care I received. Ashley has been wanting me to share the news with our church family for months. I had shared it with a small number of people so we could be on the prayer chain, but didn't want to share it with the whole church until much closer to the surgery date. I didn't want to have the focus on my "far off" problem when there are so many people needing more immediate prayers. When it came time for prayer requests, Ashley grabbed my arm and pushed it into the air. I could see she was needing me to openly request prayers. The statement was simple, but difficult for me to say. "I'm having open heart surgery in a few weeks and my family and I could really use your prayers." The lump formed in my throat before I could get all the words out. Ashley looked so relieved when I had finished as she handed me a tissue. She needs prayers for the next few weeks as much as I do. Almost instantly, I was surrounded by amazing and caring people, all ready to welcome me to the "zipper club." In our small church congregation I met people who have had bipass surgery, heart valve surgery, aorta replacement surgery, and even heart transplant surgery. It was so encouraging to know that the procedures really are quite common and I'm far from alone in this journey. I was very moved, but not surprised, by the outpouring of love and support that I received from people who really don't know me very well. We have a very special church community - I am very blessed. Thank you to everyone at Felton United Methodist Church - and thank you to my wise daughter, Ashley.
Again, at church yesterday, I shared the news and was amazed by the genuine concern and care I received. Ashley has been wanting me to share the news with our church family for months. I had shared it with a small number of people so we could be on the prayer chain, but didn't want to share it with the whole church until much closer to the surgery date. I didn't want to have the focus on my "far off" problem when there are so many people needing more immediate prayers. When it came time for prayer requests, Ashley grabbed my arm and pushed it into the air. I could see she was needing me to openly request prayers. The statement was simple, but difficult for me to say. "I'm having open heart surgery in a few weeks and my family and I could really use your prayers." The lump formed in my throat before I could get all the words out. Ashley looked so relieved when I had finished as she handed me a tissue. She needs prayers for the next few weeks as much as I do. Almost instantly, I was surrounded by amazing and caring people, all ready to welcome me to the "zipper club." In our small church congregation I met people who have had bipass surgery, heart valve surgery, aorta replacement surgery, and even heart transplant surgery. It was so encouraging to know that the procedures really are quite common and I'm far from alone in this journey. I was very moved, but not surprised, by the outpouring of love and support that I received from people who really don't know me very well. We have a very special church community - I am very blessed. Thank you to everyone at Felton United Methodist Church - and thank you to my wise daughter, Ashley.
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